A blog on comparative physiology

I just discovered Life Lines, a blog that aims to convey the “phizz” in physiology. The most recent post is on the comparative physiology of brown adipose tissue (also known as brown fat); apparently one can now directly image the increase in temperature of brown adipose tissue when a child’s hands or feet are put into cool water, and thus finally understand why kids can run around in the snow all day and still claim they’re not cold. Other fascinating topics include differential use of brown adipose tissue in different species of seals; how different organisms (including frogs) deal with freezing temperatures; musings on the effect of inflammation on the taste of a trout; why kangaroos use less energy to breathe while running flat out than they do at rest; and how bears manage not to suffer bone loss while lying inert for months when they hibernate. Kinda cool.